National Vaccine Information Center
Encyclopedia
The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) is a private non-profit 501(c)(3) advocacy group
which questions the safety and efficacy of commonly used vaccine
s. The group was founded in 1982 by parents who blamed routine vaccination for the illness or death of a child. Michael Specter
has described the NVIC as "the most powerful anti-vaccine organization in America, and its relationship with the U.S. government consists almost entirely of opposing federal efforts aimed at vaccinating children."
and were brain injured
as a result. In 1985, Fisher co-authored with Harris Coulter a critique of the mass vaccination system, DPT: A Shot in the Dark (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich), which presented a view of an association
between whole cell pertussis
(whooping cough) vaccine in the DPT shot and brain and immune system
damage, including autism
.
In the early 1980s, NVIC co-founders worked with Congress on the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act
of 1986, which created a federal vaccine injury
compensation program, mandated that doctors give parents vaccine benefit and risk information, and required the recording and reporting of vaccine injuries and deaths (see Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System
). Since then, NVIC has monitored vaccine research, development, regulation, policymaking, and legislation and has criticized mandatory vaccination
policies for lacking informed consent protections for individuals.
has described the NVIC as:
The NVIC argues that there has been inadequate research into the link between the rise in the number of children diagnosed with autism and mass-vaccination programs. There have, however, been a number of peer-reviewed studies and meta-analyses which have shown no correlation between vaccine administration and autism diagnosis.
The NVIC received criticism in April 2011 for ads that it placed on a jumbotron
in Times Square
. The ads criticized childhood immunization and promoted an alternative medicine website. In a letter to CBS, the owner of the jumbotron, the American Academy of Pediatrics
stated, "By providing advertising space to an organization like the NVIC . . . you are putting thousands of lives of children at risk."
Another controversial ad produced by NVIC and aired on some of the flights on Delta Air Lines
regarding preventive measures for influenza prompted the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics
to write a letter to the CEO of Delta on Nov 4, 2011 and urged Delta to 'remove these harmful messages'. An online petition is also set up to urge Delta to remove the ads.
The refusal of Delta Air Lines to immediately stop showing the ad prompted the Institute for Science in Medicine to protest, calling the decision:
While vaccines do occasionally cause mild adverse reactions (and rarely cause serious reactions), the infrequency of these reactions does little to offset the enormous benefits to public health that vaccines provide.
Advocacy group
Advocacy groups use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy; they have played and continue to play an important part in the development of political and social systems...
which questions the safety and efficacy of commonly used vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
s. The group was founded in 1982 by parents who blamed routine vaccination for the illness or death of a child. Michael Specter
Michael Specter
Michael Specter is an American journalist who has been a staff writer, focusing on science and technology, and global public health at The New Yorker since September 1998...
has described the NVIC as "the most powerful anti-vaccine organization in America, and its relationship with the U.S. government consists almost entirely of opposing federal efforts aimed at vaccinating children."
Background
The National Vaccine Information Center was co-founded in 1982 by Jeff Schwartz, Barbara Loe Fisher (aka Barbara Loe Arthur), and Kathi Williams, each of whom had children who, they claim, regressed after severe reactions to the DPT vaccineDPT vaccine
DPT refers to a class of combination vaccines against three infectious diseases in humans: diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus...
and were brain injured
Acquired brain injury
An acquired brain injury is brain damage caused by events after birth, rather than as part of a genetic or congenital disorder such as fetal alcohol syndrome, perinatal illness or perinatal hypoxia. ABI can result in cognitive, physical, emotional, or behavioural impairments that lead to permanent...
as a result. In 1985, Fisher co-authored with Harris Coulter a critique of the mass vaccination system, DPT: A Shot in the Dark (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich), which presented a view of an association
Correlation does not imply causation
"Correlation does not imply causation" is a phrase used in science and statistics to emphasize that correlation between two variables does not automatically imply that one causes the other "Correlation does not imply causation" (related to "ignoring a common cause" and questionable cause) is a...
between whole cell pertussis
Pertussis
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough , is a highly contagious bacterial disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. Symptoms are initially mild, and then develop into severe coughing fits, which produce the namesake high-pitched "whoop" sound in infected babies and children when they inhale air...
(whooping cough) vaccine in the DPT shot and brain and immune system
Immune system
An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...
damage, including autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
.
In the early 1980s, NVIC co-founders worked with Congress on the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act
National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act
The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 was enacted in the United States to reduce the potential financial liability of vaccine makers due to vaccine injury claims. The legislation was aimed at ensuring a stable market supply, and to provide cost-effective arbitration for vaccine...
of 1986, which created a federal vaccine injury
Vaccine injury
A vaccine injury is an injury caused by vaccination.Allegations of vaccine injuries in recent decades have appeared in litigation in the United States. Some families have won substantial awards from sympathetic juries, even though most public health officials believed that the claims of injuries...
compensation program, mandated that doctors give parents vaccine benefit and risk information, and required the recording and reporting of vaccine injuries and deaths (see Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System
Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System
The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System is a United States program for vaccine safety, co-managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration . VAERS is a post-marketing safety surveillance program, collecting information about adverse events that...
). Since then, NVIC has monitored vaccine research, development, regulation, policymaking, and legislation and has criticized mandatory vaccination
Vaccination
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by many pathogens...
policies for lacking informed consent protections for individuals.
Criticism
Michael SpecterMichael Specter
Michael Specter is an American journalist who has been a staff writer, focusing on science and technology, and global public health at The New Yorker since September 1998...
has described the NVIC as:
- "... an organization that, based on its name, certainly sounds like a federal agency. Actually, it's just the opposite: the NVIC is the most powerful anti-vaccine organization in America, and its relationship with the U.S. government consists almost entirely of opposing federal efforts aimed at vaccinating children."
The NVIC argues that there has been inadequate research into the link between the rise in the number of children diagnosed with autism and mass-vaccination programs. There have, however, been a number of peer-reviewed studies and meta-analyses which have shown no correlation between vaccine administration and autism diagnosis.
The NVIC received criticism in April 2011 for ads that it placed on a jumbotron
Jumbotron
A JumboTron is a large-screen television using technology developed by Sony, typically used in sports stadiums and concert venues to show close-up shots of the event. Although JumboTron is a registered trademark owned by the Sony Corporation, the word jumbotron is often used by the public as a...
in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
. The ads criticized childhood immunization and promoted an alternative medicine website. In a letter to CBS, the owner of the jumbotron, the American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics is the major professional association of pediatricians in the United States. The AAP was founded in 1930 by 35 pediatricians to address pediatric healthcare standards. It currently has 60,000 members in primary care and sub-specialist areas...
stated, "By providing advertising space to an organization like the NVIC . . . you are putting thousands of lives of children at risk."
Another controversial ad produced by NVIC and aired on some of the flights on Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a major airline based in the United States and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline operates an extensive domestic and international network serving all continents except Antarctica. Delta and its subsidiaries operate over 4,000 flights every day...
regarding preventive measures for influenza prompted the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics is the major professional association of pediatricians in the United States. The AAP was founded in 1930 by 35 pediatricians to address pediatric healthcare standards. It currently has 60,000 members in primary care and sub-specialist areas...
to write a letter to the CEO of Delta on Nov 4, 2011 and urged Delta to 'remove these harmful messages'. An online petition is also set up to urge Delta to remove the ads.
The refusal of Delta Air Lines to immediately stop showing the ad prompted the Institute for Science in Medicine to protest, calling the decision:
- "...indefensible from a public health perspective,..." and "The NVIC ad is, as one commentator aptly observed, a Trojan Horse. Delta passengers in November are being directed to the website of a prominent anti-vaccination organization, one that has tried to thwart national vaccine campaigns for three decades. Moreover, NVIC has the sort of name that sounds like a federal agency, one that passengers might mistake as a source of reliable information."
While vaccines do occasionally cause mild adverse reactions (and rarely cause serious reactions), the infrequency of these reactions does little to offset the enormous benefits to public health that vaccines provide.
External links
- Official website
- National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act: Vaccine Injury Table, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- "National Vaccine Information Center Calls 'Anti-Terror' Bill 'Unconstitutional'", MedicalNewsToday.com, 7 February 2005