Help me make sense of MMR - hype or theory

[felicity10]

OK, so I've been through a few pages of previous posts, I must be missing something because I can't make sense of it!

DD is 1 and I've had a letter about the vacs from the GP. I've heard about the MMR in the news few years ago and about the link to autism, but I just would really value your views.

Single vacs with no mumps or the MMR? Can anyone point me in the direction of key MMR issues?

I just don't want to get to the gp's and then feel like I am getting bullied into having the mmr - it is normally very no nonsense nurses who barely speak english, so will be unlikely to give me a clear answer as to any risks.

I am amazed that we have this lack of clarity in the UK.

Many thanks in advance!

how can his public retrction be a lie?

has anyone ever said it didn't happen?

now now, Leonie, play fair - he "forgot" PMSL

Why no answer on the study question? I promise not to show any triumphalism if it appears you're wrong - that's not the point. It's an opportunity to learn something.

Uh-huh, Horton's no liar. I've met him and he's a very nice and caring man. My intuition (a very important thing to be trusted at all times) says he isn't. So no lying on his part.

Actually, in all seriousness, the only thing Horton really did wrong was not retracting earlier. I think it was hard for him to admit he'd messed up.

That's a load of rubbish you just wrote Leonie.

They're all studies!! By what you just wrote, the only 'study' worthy of the name 'study' is a randomised control trial study!!

LEt's just set the record straight here. There are many different kinds of study. A case series is indeed a non-inferential study but study it is. You can also have a case control study where you compare people on the basis of their disease or exposure status. You may also have a prospective cohort study. You may also have a cross-sectional study as you may get from a survey. And there are ecological studies where the individual isn't the main unit of analysis. What unites them all is that they are all studies.

Now at least I understand the triumphant cries of 'Not knowing the difference between a case series and study'. I've heard it said before by anti-vax posters here and wondered what on earth they were on about.

(hands beach a tissue to wipe away her tears of laughter)

Um, Stata a case series is a report - it isn't a study.

But then you would know that with your PHD in taking the piss out of sick children number crunching.

Stata said;
"I find Andrew Wakefield, who is personally responsible for the deaths of quite a few children (he was called irresponsible by the GMC), offensive and think beach should apologise for posting a clip of him."

This is libel - you could get MN into trouble for saying this sort of thing.

Tell you what Stata- why don't you open up a spreadsheet in order to keep track of all the people you need to apologise to?

The QJM didn't say they're not studies. They called them a type of descriptive study.

There is absolutely no implication by the word 'study' that you are referring to a double blinded placebo controlled RANDOMISED study (that's actually considered the gold standard - if you randomise - then there's no need for a placebo, you might be testing two different drugs). That's completely made up by you.

How funny you guys are. Even when you're completely wrong, laughing at others for making a 'mistake', and it turns out you've absolutely messed up, you just can't admit it.

I think you've demonstrated how much you understand epidemiology.

I think on that note, I'll wish you all a pleasant evening. I hope you learnt something about what constitutes a study in epidemiology.

Stata you really want to get that post about Dr Wakefield being responsible for children's deaths deleted.

You just have to report it to MNHQ and say you want it deleted.

Honestly, I know this thread has been completely derailed is joking around now but you shouldn't leave that up - it would be a really shitty thing to do to MN.

Please get that post deleted Stata.

It is offensive and libellous.

It doesn't do you any favours to leave it posted BTW.

Before I go, just wanted to say to Seeker that I'm really sorry to hear about your Mum. I hope she gets better soon.

Stata - get that post deleted.

(Not the one about seeker's mum, of course)

Ummm. No thanks. But appreciate the concern.

I'm not in the least concerned about you.

I just think it is shitty to post libel (anonymously) on a website that others are responsible for.