Response to Comments Submitted by Gregory Schmidt
Gregory Schmidt submitted two videotapes1, a letter, and a graph that shows deaths from
vaccine-preventable diseases declined before the vaccines were licensed or mandated.
The department has reviewed the two tapes and concludes that the Statement of Need and
Reasonableness (SONAR) and our other response documents respond to most of the relevant
information on both tapes. However, the department feels it needs to clarify a few
misrepresentations in Dr. O’Shea’s video.
Response to video
In his video, Dr. O’Shea states that natural immunity confers lifelong disease immunity. He says,
“it lasts as long as you last.” This “blanket” statement is not true for all vaccine-preventable
diseases. It is dangerous and misleading to the public to make overreaching statements. For
example, a recent study suggests that the recurrence of chickenpox is more common than was
previously thought--possibly as high as 13 percent (Hall, 2002). In addition, the zoster virus (the
virus that causes chickenpox) is capable of remaining dormant in human tissue, thus individuals
who have had natural chickenpox disease are at risk of getting shingles later in life. The herpes-
zoster virus reactivates in approximately 15 percent of persons who have had chickenpox
disease, resulting in shingles (Seward 1999). Also, pertussis and tetanus disease do not provide
lifelong immunity. A person can get these diseases more than once during their lifetime.
Dr. O’Shea also uses the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) recommended immunization
schedule for childhood vaccines to show how many vaccines children get today. He refers to the
chart as the CDC’s “mandated” vaccination chart. This is misleading and incorrect. First, the
chart is only the “recommended” childhood immunization schedule; it is not mandatory. States
determine which vaccines to require for child care and school entry.
Second, he implies that children get the MMR, hepatitis B, and varicella vaccines at 18 months,
kindergarten, and seventh grade. (That is, that they get each shot three times.) This is incorrect
and a misrepresentation of the schedule.
(1) The hepatitis vaccine is a series of three shots that only has to be given at one age.
The kindergarten and sevent grade recommendations are only for those who need to
catch-up or who have not yet had the series.
(2) The MMR vaccine is recommended at 18 months and again at kindergarten. The
seventh grade recommendation is only for those who have not had their second shot.
(3) Finally, varicella vaccine can either be given at 18 months, kindergarten, or seventh
grade. It is not given to each child at all three ages. Again, those later age
recommendations are for children who did not get the immunization earlier.
Third, Dr. O’Shea states the mercury in vaccines, thimerosal, is an “inorganic” form and that this
is more dangerous than the mercury in fish. The statement that thimerosal is inorganic is
1
One tape contained speeches by Barbara Loe Fisher and Jane Orient at a meeting on the evening of 2/28/03. The
other tape contained a workshop conducted by Dr. Tim O’Shea, who is a doctor of chiropractic, titled “The Sanctity
of Human Blood.”
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incorrect. The mercury in thimerosal is ethyl mercury which is organic, not inorganic.
Thimerosal is not the kind of mercury found in fish.
Response to graph titled, “Graphical Evidence Shows Vaccines Didn’t Save us”
Mr. Schmidt submitted a graph that shows the number of deaths due to vaccine-preventable
disease declined in Australia before vaccine licensure or mandate. As stated in the SONAR
(pages 15-16) and our response to comments submitted by Christine Abel, looking at deaths
alone is not enough.
The department does not argue with the fact that disease levels began to fall sometime before a
vaccine was mandated or even introduced. As stated in the SONAR on page 15, improved living
standards, better nutrition, antibiotics, and other medical treatments all increased survival rates
among the sick and had a direct impact on vaccine-preventable diseases. However, large declines
in vaccine-preventable disease incidence and almost complete eradication of these diseases in the
United States were not seen until the vaccines were licensed, as seen with the measles vaccine.
(See page 15 of the SONAR.)
If you look at actual disease incidence (the number of new cases of a disease) over the
years, there is little doubt of the significant and direct impact vaccines have had on
disease. The graphs that Mr. Schmidt and others use only report the cases of deaths from
the disease; they do not show the actual number of cases or complications because of the
disease. Advances in medical treatment have helped in preventing death due to the
disease, but these advances did not reduce the number of cases of the disease. That
happened once the vaccine was licensed.
Improved living standards have undoubtedly had a direct impact on disease. Better
nutrition, not to mention the development of antibiotics and other treatments, have
increased survival rates among the sick. Less crowded living conditions, at least in the
United States, have reduced disease transmission. However, if you look at actual disease
incidence (the number of new cases of a disease) over the years, there is little doubt of the
significant and direct impact vaccines have had on disease. (See SONAR pages 15-16.)
Chickenpox also illustrates this point. Modern sanitation did not prevent nearly four
million cases each year before the introduction of the varicella vaccine in 1996. In just six
years since the licensure of the vaccine (1995), the number of cases have dropped
dramatically. Good food and sanitation did not result in a drop in disease incidence.
In addition, the department does not believe that death is the only measure of disease
seriousness. The state also has an interest in reducing disease, not just death, to reduce
complications that result in brain damage, blindness, deafness, and paralysis that require long-
term care.
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