A controversial new documentary "Vaxxed: From Coverup to Catastrophe" opens in the Chicago area Friday – and there's a key reason why you won't find positive reviews in major newspapers or on major news stations.
Hint: It's not that in the film a CDC whistleblower reveals information the public shouldn't know.
It's that major drug companies are some of the biggest advertisers and the crucial drug revenue they share with newspapers and news stations comes with strings attached. Strings that prevent media from reporting news negative about drug companies.
Del Bigtree, a medical journalist and co-writer of the film's script, spoke with Illinois Review Friday.
"If your news story is that the pharmaceutical industry and the Centers for Disease Control have colluded, and hidden the fact that they have an effective vaccine that's destroying the lives of children – in this case we have a CDC whistleblower and a top scientist in Dr. William Thompson stepping forward saying "We committed fraud in the MMR-autism study and hid the fact that there's a causal link between the vaccine and autism – how do you think you get that story told?"
"Vaxxed," the film that Robert DeNiro voluntarily pulled from the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival because of the ruckus it stirred, was blasted by the New York Times because the film was produced by Dr. Andrew Wakefield. Dr. Wakefield is a physician that, the paper said, was discredited when his findings about the link between vaccines and autism were retracted by the British Lancet.
The New York Times did not mention that "Vaxxed" focuses almost entirely on the testimony of top CDC scientist Dr. William Thompson – who admits the CDC manipulated research findings to muffle concerns parents might have about the triple measles/mumps/rubella vaccine Dr. Wakefield suggested was key to the explosion of autism over the past several decades.
"It's an incredible moment in American history where we have a top government scientist stepping forward – this man has won awards almost every year he's been at the CDC – he comes forward and says, 'I have to confess, I cannot live with myself any longer, we committed fraud on this MMR – autism study and it put millions of children at risk.' He literally said, 'Every time I see a child with autism I feel guilty because I feel responsible for it,'" Bigtree said. "That is a public statement, and not a single major newspaper or news station covered the story."
And why? One reason is because those same news sources are funded in part by lucrative drug company advertising.
It really isn't that unbelievable to learn that pharmaceutical money affects news coverage. It affects public policy, too.
Drug companies are generous to politicians on either side of the partisan aisle – at federal and state levels.
In 2001, the Illinois General Assembly unanimously passed legislation that would bar anyone from serving on the Illinois Immunization Advisory Committee that accepted funding from pharmaceutical companies. The goal was to minimize interest conflicts when advising the Illinois Director of Public Health on whether new or additional vaccines should be made mandatory.
When members of the Immunization Advisory Committee learned of the impending legislation, they expressed outrage, and called the proposal "ridiculous." One of the infectious disease specialists on the committee declared the legislation to be "un-American and un-democratic," saying it in fact, was "despicable."
"No infectious disease specialist will be able to serve on this committee," he told his colleagues. "We all take money from pharmaceutical companies!"
It was true. The committee members' financial disclosure statements showed they were receiving grants, samples and stock dividends from drug companies.
Soon after the IAC met the governor at the time, George Ryan, was contacted by influential check-writing physicians and medical society devotees who influenced him to veto the bill. To this day, drug company beneficiaries are involved in advising Illinois' mandatory vaccine policy.
And when a vaccine becomes mandatory, federal law protects drug companies from liability concerning the vaccines and any injury connected. Taxpayers fund any civil judgements tied to mandatory vaccines.
The measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is the one Dr. Wakefield and Dr. Thompson claims is tied to autism.
In 1930, autism was unknown. By 1975, the number of autism cases had exploded. In 2014 alone, 1,802,353 new cases were diagnosed and few media sources reported on it, yet that same media intensely covered the 644 cases of measles nationwide attributed to unvaccinated children.
In addition to Dr. Thompson's revelations, the film "Vaxxed" reviews the history of the MMR-autism controversy, and makes a four-part call for action:
- That Congress subpoena Dr. William Thompson and investigate the CDC fraud.
- That Congress repeal the 1985 National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act and hold manufacturers liable for injury caused by their vaccines.
- That the single measles, mumps and rubella vaccines be made available immediately.
- That all vaccines be classified as pharmaceutical drugs and tested accordingly.
Notice, there are no calls to end vaccine distribution, stop development of vaccines or any other radical anti-vaccine proposals.
Instead, "Vaxxed" calls on accountability of the drug companies, transparency of the mandate process and appropriate testing. It calls on Americans to get involved immediately in order to offset an impending autism catastrophe by 2032, when current stats predict a possible one in two children will be affected by autism.
Dr. Thompson's chilling words, "Oh my god. I cannot believe we did what we did. But we did," gives hope that there are still persons with consciences hoping to change the outcome.
See "Vaxxed," decide for yourself what you think about the information and share the controversy with your friends.
It may be the only way they hear about it if the CDC, Big Pharma and Big Media have anything to say about it.
Review by Fran Eaton, editor and co-founder of IllinoisReview.com, a news source founded in 2005.
Donald TRUMP is the only republican who has been brave enough to tell the truth about vaccines. We republicans have been blessed by god to have him as our nominee instead of lyin Ted cruz or one of the other fake conservatives who ran. Soon america will be blessed by god to be led by PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
Are there any studies regarding the incidence of autism in countries which do not require extensive infant/childhood vaccinations? Seems to me they’d provide a perfect (or at least decent) control group ~
It is so refreshing to seeing honest journalism. Thank you for such a good article on Vaxxed and for standing up to what the film really talks about! Thank you so much.
This is an amazing review. Well done. You are a true journalist.
I can’t wait to see this important film!
Finally some honest journalists , thank you so much for speaking the truth
Not the first time our fascist federal govt used American citizens as guinea pigs
Hm-m-m-m. Not sure what to think about this article. Other experts suggest that the increase in autism has more to do with getting services for kids who act differently, especially after Congress made autism a separate disability category and thus eligible for special education services. Some experts think that the rise in autism has more to do with changes in diagnosis terminology so that kids can get services and be treated with medication.
Concerned Taxpayer –
It’s healthy to be skeptical. We should all be more skeptical .
The points you make are commonly reported – and they alleviate any accountability for vaccine manufacturers. In the documentary “Vaxxed,” a doctor that specializes with autistic patients is interviewed and says it was a rare condition when she first started practicing. She doesn’t hesitate to make the link between vaccines and autism. Most certainly colleagues of hers that will deny the link. However, the point is that questions demand a thorough, objective investigation into the possibility.
With the CDC whistleblower stepping forward and confessing his guilt in a government agency coverup, the demand from the public for the truth should be deafening.
Lee –
In the film, there’s a segment where the question you raise is brought before CDC officials while they are testifying before Congress. One of the officials confesses that there has not been a study comparing vaccinated children with unvaccinated.
Drug companies have no interest in funding such studies.
It is unfortunate that movies like this don’t get a wider release. The only showing I see listed is in Chicago.
As a parent with a child that was diagnosed with high functioning autism I had the same questions about if the increase had to do with the ability to get as well as sell services to kids with autism. It took about a year of research and reading for us to accept the diagnosis.
The way our medical system and schools work we are dependent on medical codes. Speech therapy, counseling, and school accommodations all depend on the diagnosis.
I haven’t seen the movie so I can’t say if I buy into the idea that it is caused by vaccines. The one thing that I never hear when they talk about the dramatic increase in the numbers is where on the spectrum are the increases found? Is it across the whole spectrum or primarily towards the high functioning end?
LOL. There simply is no issue involving science that conservatives aren’t on the wrong side of.
The Omish community does not vaccinate. They do not have autism
…….said with a straight face and in complete seriousness by the ‘gay science’ accepting – and loving – Narc.
You and yours have ZERO room to criticize on acceptance of ‘science’, when you and yours’ acceptance of ‘science’ is based on getting your queer lovers elected and then ram-rodding legislation, just in case no one has told you that yet.
Have you seen the movie??
I think that medical diagnoses are at least one reason for the increase in autism. I have worked in public schools for many years and the same thing has occurred with RTI (Response to Intervention). There are many more kids who now have been labeled with reading difficulties, which has necessitated a huge increase in reading specialists who work one-on-one or in small groups. Now there is a focus on math difficulties, which has also led to hiring math specialists. School staffs have grown proportionately in response to the increase in identified learning issues.
I would ask you to please watch this film. The film addresses your questions. The information they have uncovered is incredibly damning and credible. They have emails and audio from a whistleblower who WANTS to testify, but he can’t without being subpoenaed.
Thank you for an honest write up! I’m glad this news outlet is not funded by pharma!
You are a journalist of true integrity. It is such a breath of fresh air to get this information untouched by bias from financial ties to Pharma. Thank you.
Generation Rescue did one. Says exactly what you’d expect. We have the highest vaccine rate and the highest autism rate and highest uder 5 mortality rate out of industrialized countries.
http://www.rescuepost.com/files/gr-autism_and_vaccines_world_special_report1.pdf
“Other experts” are giving you malarkey and balderdash, otherwise known as BS. You think parents are spending their time and money chasing down diagnoses and services for kids who don’t really have problems? It boggles the mind that anyone would truly believe that. Nothing’s happening to children, but apparently parents have suddenly become stupid. /end snark
Hundreds of honest doctors disagree completely with your statement. In fact they find it laughable. Getting services has nothing to do with the galloping increases in autism. It’s just and end result of an epidemic fueled by vaccination.