The "Wakefield Generation"

Andrew Wakefield, disgraced anti-vaccine doctor turned documentarian is the gift that keeps giving (not really).  England has reported a decade-high number of mumps cases:

Last year there were nearly five times as many cases of mumps as the year before – 5,042 lab-confirmed cases as opposed to 1,066 in 2018, said PHE. The trend is continuing, with 546 new cases last month, compared to 191 in January last year.

Wales has also reported a significant rise in mumps cases:

Public Health Wales identified 2,695 potential cases of the viral infection last year - up from 519 in 2018.

The areas with the most suspected cases were Cardiff and Swansea, which have large numbers of students.

 And so has Scotland:

There were 281 laboratory-confirmed mumps cases in 2018, which is a decrease compared to 2017 during which 385 cases were reported. From 1 January to 30 September 2019, 534 laboratory-confirmed mumps cases were reported. A number of NHS Boards have experienced clusters of mumps thus far in 2019, mainly in adolescents and young adults.

The mumps portion of the MMR is the least effective so two doses are necessary.  The majority of cases are in unvaccinated young adults in higher education settings which is an ideal opportunity for mumps transmission.  However, some with one dose and fewer that received two doses have also been infected.

Why blame Wakefield?  Because his retracted "study" that was published in 1998 and his subsequent "media tour" playing up the alleged link between autism and the MMR jab drove down vaccination rates in several birth cohorts.

Most outbreaks have been in colleges and universities. “Many of the cases in 2019 were seen in the so-called “Wakefield cohorts” – young adults born in the late 1990s and early 2000s who missed out on the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine when they were children,” said PHE in a statement.

Many parents, especially in London, did not take their children for the two shots of MMR vaccine at the ages of 1 and nearly 4, because of the scare around a paper in the Lancet journal by gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield and colleagues in 1998. The research focused only on a small number of children who had bowel disease and autism, but Wakefield made a link with the MMR vaccination, wrongly claiming that it could “overload” the immune system.

The same trend was observed with measles with an unmistakeable inverse correlation between vaccination rates and infection rates globally.  This trend will undoubtedly continue if parents keep listening to the likes of Andrew Wakefield, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Del Bigtree. 

Andrew Wakefield is the Anti-Vaxx Gift That Keeps Giving

The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed that at least eight children have measles.  They are all between the ages of 1 year and 4 years old and NONE have been vaccinated against measles although they are age-eligible.  Seven of the eight children belong to the large Somali community in Hennepin County and six have been hospitalised.  There may be more cases given the low MMR vaccine uptake among those in that community and only one case could be traced to a contact.

Andrew Wakefield, professional fraud made at least three trips to the Minnesota Somali community between 2010 and 2011 to pimp his faux concern about autism and measles jabs.  The result was a 50% uptake in the MMR jab as of 2013.  Even before his visits, Wakefield's fraudulent 1998 study linking MMR jabs to autism and visits from other anti-vaxx groups impacted this community and decreased the MMR vaccine uptake from ~90% to 54% sparking an outbreak in 2011 after his visits there.

Andrew Wakefield promised this community he would investigate their autism rate; he never did.  Instead he convinced them to eschew vaccination and gave them measles outbreaks.  That's the Wakefield Touch.

Update 18 April 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed a ninth measles case in Hennepin County in an unvaccinated child.

Update 20 April 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed  eleven cases of measles in Hennepin County all in children ages 1-5 years old, nine confirmed in unvaccinated children and nine in the Somali community.

Update 22 April 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed twelve cases of measles in Hennepin County all in children under 5 years old and all unvaccinated.  The uptake of MMR in the Somali community there is 42% in children under the age of two years old.

Update 25 April 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed twenty cases of measles in Hennepin County now.  One child less than one year old has been infected and 50% of infected children have been hospitalised.  Sixteen children have been confirmed unvaccinated.

Update 27 April 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed 24 cases of measles in Hennepin County.  Twenty-three of the 24 cases have been confirmed UNVACCINATED.  All children infected are five years old and younger. It has been confirmed that NONE of the infected children were vaccinated, 50% have been hospitalised and the infected children are between 10 months and 5 years old.  The outbreak may have emanated from a daycare.

Update 1 May 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed 32 cases of measles, 30 in Hennepin County and has spread with one in Ramsey County and one in Stearns County.  Of the 32 measles cases, only one child has received a single MMR jab, all others are UNVACCINATED.

Update 5 May 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed 41 cases of measles which has spread to Crow Wing County involving another unvaccinated child.  The stats of this outbreak are:
• 1 involves an adult and the rest are children age 10 or younger
• 39 involve people who were not vaccinated against the disease
• 34 are from Minnesota's Somali community
The case previously reported from Stearns County was ruled out as measles with confirmatory testing.
Anti-vaxx groups continue to stoke unfounded fears of vaccines causing autism among the Somali community in Hennepin County.

Update 8 May 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed the measles outbreak is up to 48 cases.

• 45 in Hennepin County
• 2 in Ramsey County
• 1 in Crow Wing County
• 45 confirmed to be unvaccinated
• 1 had 1 dose of MMR
• 2 had 2 doses of MMR
• 41 of the cases are Somali Minnesotan 

Update 11 May 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed the measles outbreak is up to 51 cases:

• 47 confirmed to be unvaccinated
• 1 had 1 dose of MMR
• 2 had 2 doses of MMR
• 1 case has unknown vaccination status
• 48 in children (ages 0-17 years)
• 3 cases in adults
• 46 of the cases are Somali Minnesotan 

Update 15 May 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed the measles outbreak is up to 58 cases:

• 49 in Hennepin County
• 3 in Ramsey County
• 4 in Crow Wing County
• 2 in Le Sueur County
• 55 confirmed to be unvaccinated
• 1 had 1 dose of MMR
• 2 had 2 doses of MMR
• 55 in children (ages 0-17 years)
• 3 cases in adults
• 49 of the cases are Somali Minnesotan

Additionally, the cost of this outbreak is estimated to be ~$1 Million Dollars.

Update 22 May 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed the measles outbreak is up to 66 cases:

• 56 in Hennepin County
• 4 in Ramsey County
• 4 in Crow Wing County
• 2 in Le Sueur County
• 62 confirmed to be unvaccinated
• 1 had 1 dose of MMR
• 3 had 2 doses of MMR
• 63 in children (ages 0-17 years)
• 3 cases in adults
• 57 of the cases are Somali Minnesotan 

Update 2 June 2017:  The Minnesota Department of Health has confirmed the measles outbreak is up to 73 cases.

• 64 in Hennepin County
• 3 in Ramsey County
• 4 in Crow Wing County
• 2 in Le Sueur County
• 68 confirmed to be unvaccinated
• 2 had 1 dose of MMR
• 3 had 2 doses of MMR
• 70 in children (ages 0-17 years)
• 3 cases in adults
• 60 of the cases are Somali Minnesotan

Anti-Vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to Chair a Vaccine Commission

U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump has met with anti-vaxxer RFK, Jr. to solicit him for a committee on vaccine safety and research integrity.  Sadly but not surprisingly such an appointment is on par with Trump's other picks for cabinet positions (although this isn't a cabinet position).  RFK, Jr.'s monomania regarding thiomersal has been debunked by the scientific community repeatedly.  Which leads me to believe that failure on that front will lead RFK, Jr. to turn his sights on "too many too soon" which Trump fervently believes.

It is unclear whether Trump is unaware of the CDC's Immunization Safety Office and the Vaccine Safety Datalink or simply doing an end run around them because he can't exert any direct control over them.  In any event, Trump is feeding his own anti-vaxx proclivities at the U.S. taxpayers' expense. Ultimately it is doubtful that anything meaningful will emerge from such a committee but that doesn't mean that RFK, Jr. can't cause a lot of trouble, not to mention the new life which will be breathed into the anti-vaxx movement.  How long before Andrew Wakefield is announced as a co-chair or committee member?

RFK, Jr. admits in an interview with ScienceMag that he has no expertise in science and will place "science people and prominent Americans".

How many people will be on the commission?
A dozen people -- a mix between science people and prominent Americans.
Who will you ask to serve?
I couldn’t tell you. I just finished meeting with the President-elect an hour ago.
When you say “science people,” do you mean experts from the scientific establishment?
Prominent scientists.
Do you mean prominent vaccinologists who believe in the safety and efficacy of today’s vaccines?
We are going to look for people who have expertise in toxicology, epidemiology and in public health.
Do you have scientific training?
No.  My background is I’m an environmental lawyer.  I’m not a scientist. But I have an expertise, I would say in reading science and spotting junk science because that’s what I do with most of my time.

Translation: He is going to look for people who might know a little bit more on the subject of vaccinology who are just as anti-vaccine as he is to launch a performance art showing.  Somehow I suspect that RFK, Jr. and his future committee members aren't exactly qualified to evaluate the science coming out of the CDC.  If it wasn't for the momentary pain in the arse RFK, Jr. and his little band of anti-vaxx warriors will cause for hard-working ethical people, it would be rather entertaining.

I am going to choose to look at the bright side of this which is another Trump rock will be turned over and we will get to see who crawls out.  Just as foisting Breitbart into the spotlight emboldened racists and let us see who they really are, this committee will undoubtedly have the same effect by emboldening anti-vaxx politicians and others who have cravenly kept to the shadows on the subject.  We will get to see who they are and may they have the same backlash inflicted upon them as the racist, bigoted Breitbart fake news site has.

Had organisations such as the Centers for Disease Control, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics been more proactive and damning of anti-vaxx quack physicians and activities, perhaps the creation of a committee such as this would have been more politically unsavoury.  It's time for these organisations, physicians and scientists to step up and push back against pseudo-scientific claims and those who make them and stop relying upon lightning-rods like Dr. Offit to be the only one doing their dirty work for them.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Andrew Wakefield, Dr. Bob Sears and all their other associates are inexpert has-beens and wannbes but that doesn't mean their activities haven't done substantial damage to public health and public trust in our healthcare agencies.  It's time for all of us who are interested in public health and the well-being of our children to send a clear, organised message to these anti-science predators that their meddling in affairs that are way over their heads will not be tolerated.

Paging De Niro and Hightower...Wakefield isn't really in it to help autistics

Much ado has been made recently regarding the film Vaxxed: From Cover up to Catastrophe and rightfully so.  There have been numerous criticisms of the film and fortunately, Liz Ditz at I Speak of Dreams has been keeping a running list.  I won't be adding to that list any time soon, my interest is of a different sort.  Recently, it was revealed that Andrew Wakefield gave an email exchange he had with Grace Hightower, Robert De Niro's wife, to Celia Farber, a rabid HIV-AIDS denialist who serves as Wakefield's lackey to release personal communications that Wakefield apparently wants publicised.  Ms. Farber published an email exchange on her blog between Wakefield and Hightower but pulled it about an hour later.  It has been cached here (Hat tip: Mrs Pointer).

There are some revealing statements from Andrew Wakefield that warrant discussing.  First is this:

From: Andy Wakefield [email address redacted]
Date: Mon, Mar 28, 2016 at 2:55 PM
Subject: IMPORTANT
To: Grace DeNiro [email address redacted]

Did you share the confidential link to our movie with third parties? If so, who were these third parties?

From: Office Of Grace Hightower
Date: Mon, Mar 28, 2016 at 4:45 PM
Subject: Re: IMPORTANT
To: Andy Wakefield

Bob shared it with Jane Rosenthal and she shared it with her sister Pam Rawlings [sic]. These are the two people I am aware of his sharing it with. I shared it with no one.

This was two days after Wakefield's film was pulled from the Tribeca Film Festival. First, Jane Rosenthal is the co-founder, along with Robert DeNiro, of the Tribeca Film Festival and also co-chair.  She has an extensive and impressive portfolio of films she has produced, many featuring Robert De Niro.  Pam Rollins (not Rawlings) is Jane Rosenthal's sister and an associate professor at the University of Texas and an expert in communication and autism spectrum disorders.  Then:

On Mar 29, 2016, at 9:18 AM, Andy Wakefield wrote:
Grace, whatever may have happened – and I guess I will never know – in truth my heart goes out to you and Bob. Not only has your family’s life been blighted by autism, but you have experienced some of the relentless and ruthless pressure that has been my life for as long as I can remember.
In truth and healing
Andy
—
Andy Wakefield
Director
Autism Media Channel

Emphasis added.  Let that sink in.

Andrew Jeremy Wakefield essentially called Mr. De Niro's and Ms. Hightower's son a blight on their family.  Of course the devoted flock of Wakefield would argue that he only meant that autism was a blight but it's not.  Autism is part of who the person is for better or worse, just ask an autistic person.  This is the danger of embarking upon the "autism is a tragedy" train; parents no longer see their autistic child but rather one that has been "stolen by" autism" or has had "the soul taken away from them".  Bob Wright, founder of Autism Speaks testified at a 2007 congressional meeting about federal funding for autism.  Here is a chilling quote from him:

Our grandson, Christian, was diagnosed with autism in 2004.  Helpless, we watched him slip away into the cruel embrace of this disorder.  My wife, Suzanne, likens it to a kidnapping, as if someone had taken away the life Christian was meant to live. We all want nothing more than to have him back where he belongs, restored to his family--he's a little prisoner.

This is from the man who founded, what is perhaps, the largest autism charity in the country.  And from Bradley Whitford, the then-acting president of Autism Speaks (from the same meeting):

As my friend, John, has said many times, it's as if 1 in 150 American children was being kidnapped.  What would this Congress do if that was the case? What must it do to deal with these sad facts as they truly are?...

Portia has written a book about Dov called Strange Son.  Here's how she describes the kidnapping, ``It was his mind they came for.  They came to steal his mind. Before anyone gave it a name, even before I knew what it was, I knew it was in our house.  They were very, very dark things, and there was no way to get rid of them.  When I closed my eyes, I felt their shadows passing over me.  I didn't like to think about where they came from, or where they were going.  It was too frightening.  Dov was only a baby, and something was trying to steal him away.  I knew that that was what they did whenever I accidentally fell asleep.  Night after night, I sat beside his crib.  I knew he was slipping away from us, away from our world, and there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening, and there was nothing anybody could do, they told me.  So, I did the only things I could--I guarded him.  Although I knew it would do no good, because I could not guard his mind.  Then, one day, it happened. He was gone.  ''It is even more than just a tragedy for these kids, many of whom, like Dov, we now know to be of extraordinary intelligence, but trapped in bodies which do not allow them to effectively communicate or interact with the rest of us.  It's also a tragedy for our families and for our country.

As if it wasn't obvious, all people mentioned subscribe to the vaccine-causation idea of autism.  Incidentally, De Niro and Hightower are supporters of Autism Speaks. They don't accept their child has been born that way and autism isn't something done to him by vaccines.  That is what is so vile about Andrew Wakefield's statement.  More on that later.  Ms. Hightower not only doesn't appear to be bothered by such a remark but feels sorry for Wakefield:

On Mar 30, 2016, at 3:42 PM, Office of Grace Hightower wrote:

Andy,
Will you give me a call. I have an idea.
I feel awful about what happened and how it happened. I found out that the film was pulled along with the rest of the world.
Grace

The exchange continues:

On Mar 31, 2016, at 5:06 PM, Andy Wakefield wrote:

I will. I am headed for LAX and will try from there.
Andy
Sent from my iPhone

On Fri, Apr 1, 2016 at 9:39 AM, Office of Grace Hightower wrote:

Andy,
Just saw Ian Lipkin’s write up in NYT on March 30th you are entitled to a rebuttal. Also he was one of two doctors that I found out consulted TriBeCa. The other is Pam Rollins of Dallas, Jane Rosenthal’s sister. Don’t know of any others but, will let you know if I hear of any others. I spoke with Ian and found him to be quite pro industry and not at all really interested in autism.
Best,

Grace

"Not at all really interested in autism"?  Let's see, Dr. Lipkin is only the principle investigator for the Autism Birth Cohort Project.  What are Andrew Wakefield's credentials again?  The exchange concludes with this:

On Apr 1, 2016, at 11:30 AM, Andy Wakefield wrote:

In flight. It seems to me that Rosenthal’s breach of confidentiality is a dismissible offense. We were assured there would be no consequence to her breach and clearly there was – one that amounts to defamation. We arrive around 12.00 in NYC. I will call and perhaps we could grab a coffee over the weekend.
Andy
From: Business Office 1

Date: Fri, Apr 1, 2016 at 5:34 PM

Subject: Re: Reflections
To: Andy Wakefield
Yes, I recalled. I am in Florida now will be in NYC afternoon of April 4th.
Are you still in town? Would like to see and chat.

Sent from my iPhone

On one hand Wakefield suggests to Ms. Hightower that Jane Rosenthal should be removed from chairing the Tribeca Film Festival for "breach of confidentiality" yet has absolutely no problem handing a confidential email exchange to Celia Farber to publish.  This isn't the first time he's done this.  Wakefield's sheer arrogance is astonishing.  It will be interesting to see what transpires after this.  But this is only a part of the problem.

What is so very disturbing about this exchange is Wakefield's contempt for autistics while at the same time claiming to champion them.  Admittedly, I haven't seen the movie but will, although all I need to know is in the trailer.  Wakefield and company portray autistics in the worst possible light while portraying the parents as victims.

I have to ask, did anyone get informed consent from the autistic children in the film?  Did they get a say in whether they would like to be portrayed as damaged blights to their families and society?  I think we all know the answer to that.  Sadly, that is the power of Wakefield, his hustle to make himself attractive to otherwise (in some cases) intelligent people.  He appeals to the parents greatest fears and vulnerabilities.  He perpetuates the notion that autistics are less than human and exploits them for his own gain.  This is a very prevalent theme amongst the vaccines-causes-autism crowd.

Wakefield's co-producer Polly Tommey (founder of Autism Media Channel which Wakefield is the director of but isn't listed) allowed her son Billy to be exploited in this film.  Polly Tommey's daughter Bella is also in it and has a blog.  Bella wrote a post in October 2014 which was a dehumanising exposé of her own brother thinly-veiled as a special plea for her own martyrdom.  I posted a comment on the blog but it was removed:

Raising autistic children is a challenge; having an autistic sibling is a challenge but one crucial detail that is left out of this for vaccine-causation parents is that their children have the right to privacy; they have the right to dignity; they have a right to be raised in an environment which does not make them believe they are damaged.  This is the slippery-slope that ensues when parents view autism as a tragedy, something external foisted upon their children who would have been perfect otherwise.  They become less-than-human.

Lesile Weghorn of The Scientific Parent recently wrote a compelling article about how autistics feel about themselves when referred to as "vaccine-damaged".  It is gut-wrenching that autistics have to grow up in a world where they are thought of as a tragedy, a burden and now, a blight on their families.  Did Robert DeNiro and Grace Hightower even bother to talk to some autistics, perhaps even their own son about how autistics are portrayed in the media?  Perhaps they would like to talk to real autism advocates, other parent/advocates of autistic children and autistics about how they feel and how damaging Wakefield's film is, not only on a public health basis but how cruelly he depicts autistics.

Andrew Wakefield is a professional parasite who slimed his way into the De Niro's hearts preying upon their vulnerability, desperation and celebrity.  I wonder though, even if Robert De Niro and Grace Hightower subscribe to the vaccine-causation idea, would they consent to have their son portrayed in the manner Wakefield exploited in his film?  Even more importantly, would their son consent to be portrayed in such a humiliating manner?  If they don't have a problem with their son being called a blight on their family would they mind their son's personal details on display for public consumption?  If they would have a problem with that then perhaps they should reconsider Andrew Wakefield as an ally and take a critical look at who he really is because he isn't an autism advocate or researcher or even film-maker as he so recently fancies himself. 

De Niro and Hightower have the ability and resources to make a real difference and a positive impact on issues surrounding autism.  Pimping a fraud of a documentary about an issue that has been settled is intellectually and socially lazy.  Giving a platform to an unethical, disgraceful excuse for a physician who has damaged public health and profoundly contributed to the negative perception of autistics is an affront to all autistics and their families.

Wakefraud One More Time and Anti-Vaxx Myth-Busting Dr. Iannelli

Since Andrew Jeremy Wakefield aka Wakefraud made another warped bid for attention in the form of threatening a maybe-perhaps-in-the-future-if-he-gets-around-to-it lawsuit against Emily Willingham and Forbes Magazine, it's just as good a time as any to give him the attention he so desperately craves.  C0c0rdance released an educational video which contains Wakefraud's raw real-time PCR data and how it was intentionally altered to achieve measles-positive results entitled "Wakefield's Smoking Gun".  C0nc0rdance's evidence and plain-language explanation leaves no doubt of Wakefraud's intentional fixing of the data to provide his own foregone conclusion.

Next, Vincent Iannelli, M.D. posted an excellent "Vaxopedia" entry "Anti-Vaccine Myths and Misinformation" which will be a handy reference for a quick refutation for the annoying anti-vaxxer you may be arguing with as they will undoubtedly invoke several of the canards debunked by Dr. Iannelli.

"I did my research."

Parents often say that when they are ready to delay or skip vaccines.

Because the idea that vaccines are dangerous is easy to disprove, the anti-vaccine movement surrounds that idea with many myths and much misinformation to confuse parents who are trying to "do their research" on vaccines and how best to keep their children safe and healthy.

This guide to the most common anti-vaccine myths and misinformation will help you understand that vaccines are safe, are necessary, and that getting your kids vaccinated and fully protected against each and every vaccine-preventable disease is the right decision to make.

Please read on for an entertaining rebuttal of 40 anti-vaccine tropes.

Wakefraud: A New Internet Meme is Born

Last week, Andrew Jeremy Wakefield did not like a blogpost on Forbes by Emily Willingham and penned a whiny threat of legal action against her.  His threat appeared on the autism crank blog Age of Autism whose readership consists mainly of rabid anti-vaxx parents of autistic children who hate Emily Willingham with a white-hot passion.  It was a most calculated move by Wakefield as Penumbrage opines:

So why is he doing it? My best guess is that he has issued this threat and published it on Age of Autism to rally the troops and revitalize his flagging support. And why is he doing it to Ms Willingham? Perhaps he thinks she is more vulnerable than CNN or Time Magazine. Maybe he hoped that Forbes would take the corporate view and silence her to fend off a potential troublesome lawsuit. Not for the first time he has been proven wrong. Ms Willingham is an eminent scientist, an educator and an accomplished journalist. Forbes recognize her talent and show no signs of surrendering to Wakefield’s bluster.

Today, Harpocrates Speaks published a hilarious post describing the "Wakefraud".

The sun set long ago, and outside, the world sleeps. Only the occasional passing car breaks the tranquility of the night. Inside, a lone figure sits before a laptop. The lamp on the desk sheds a soft, if weak, light, nearly drowned out itself by the cold illumination of the monitor. The figure's fingers tap out a few final strokes, then move to the mouse. She drags the cursor across the screen and clicks "Publish". A sudden flash of lightning and thunder, then the room goes dark.

A low, quiet chuckle filters out of the laptop as the screen fitfully flickers back to life. On the screen, four words shed an ominous, baleful glow:

The Wakefraud had struck.

Read both Penumbrage and Harpocrates Speaks for more excellent commentary about the Wakefraud.  Wakefield wanted some publicity and attention, well he's got it.

Wakefield Attempts (yet again) to Silence a Critic

Andrew Jeremy Wakefield has issued a letter to blogger Emily Willingham of Forbes accusing her of "malicious defamation" in an article she posted, “Blame Wakefield For Missed Autism-Gut Connection.”

This Pediatrics review of autism and gut disorders found higher rates of constipation, diarrhea, and stomach pain among autistic people. But the authors do not once mention anxiety.
That in spite of the fact that anxiety is a key feature of autism and that research suggests that autism and anxiety are indeed linked.  And that gut conditions like diarrhea and constipation and gut pain are often related to anxiety.
When children aren’t autistic and they have stomach pain or constipation or diarrhea, the frequent conclusion is that stress and anxiety are the cause and predictive of anxiety in adulthood. Indeed, with that little nervous system parked there in our gut, it’s no wonder that things get a little seized up and out of rhythm when the rest of us does.

Pressure (Photo credit: kevin dooley)

So why is it that no one attends to this clear (to me) link when it come to autistic children? Well, the Pediatrics review by McElhanon et al. happens to cite that reason several times:  Wakefield’s MMR/autism/gut red herring and the subsequent noxious cloud that his fraud left over any research examining autism and the gut. So we don’t know anything about the real underlying causes of these digestive problems among autistic children. The Pediatrics authors state it unequivocally:

It is clear that greater clinical and research scrutiny is needed to increase awareness on this topic and thus support development of the best standards of care. Previous controversy surrounding the MMR vaccine and proposed causal link between ASD and infection of the GI tract probably deterred investigators from dedicating resources to examine GI functioning in this population while fostering uncertainty in the ASD community regarding the validity of this line of inquiry.

Another thing for which to thank Andrew Wakefield, a self-described “academic gastroenterologist.” Someone with that specialization would have been the perfect person to make this connection between anxiety in autistic people and gut discomfort. One more among so many opportunities for understanding and intervention missed, even as public health in general and the health of autistic children specifically continue to suffer.
Perhaps now, with this Pediatrics review disconnecting Wakefield from the picture altogether and encouraging genuine investigation, researchers will feel more justified in pursuing this question with valid, testable hypotheses and studies that might lead to effective interventions for GI distress among autistic people.

Wakefield is currently embroiled in a lawsuit against Brian Deer, The British Medical Journal (BMJ) and Fiona Godlee for defamation. Given how TIME magazine has dubbed Andrew Jeremy Wakefield one of the "Great Science Frauds",  or how CNN has called Andrew Jeremy Wakefield's Lancet study "an elaborate fraud" or how the New York Times has called Andrew Jeremy Wakefield "one of the most reviled doctors of his generation" and other journalists and numerous bloggers have "blamed" Andrew Jeremy Wakefield for derailing autism research and reduced uptake of vaccines, it seems rather odd that Wakefield would now single out Emily Willingham and Forbes.

His sad little letter to Dr. Willingham and Forbes has been published on none other than Age of Autism, the revolting den of autistic-haters and Wakefield devotees. Curiously, he penned the threatening letter himself rather than have an attorney draft and send it.

Ms. Emily Willingham
Forbes Magazine
60 Fifth Avenue,
New York, NY 10011.
04.30.14
Re:       Malicious defamation of Dr. Andrew Wakefield

Without prejudice

Dear Emily Willingham,
            It has been brought to my attention that on or about April 30, 2014, Forbes ran an online article authored by you entitled, “Blame Wakefield For Missed Autism-Gut Connection.” The article can be found online at:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/emilywillingham/2014/04/30/blame-wakefield-for-missed-autism-gut-connection/
In this letter you made demonstrably false and misleading claims that have the effect of defaming me. Your false and defamatory statements are reckless, stated without due regard to the available evidence, and malicious. Accordingly, pending review by my lawyers, you will be sued for defamation.
            Specifically, your article states, as a matter of fact that:
Wakefield’s MMR/autism/gut red herring and the subsequent noxious cloud that his fraud left over any research examining autism and the gut.
            In making this false and malicious allegation of fraud, you erroneously ascribe the above statement to a “cite” from the authors of an article published in the medical journal Pediatrics when you write:
Well, the Pediatrics review by McElhanon et al. happens to cite that reason several times: Wakefield’s MMR/autism/gut red herring and the subsequent noxious cloud that his fraud… The Pediatrics authors state it unequivocally:
            On any ordinary reading, the intent of your statement is clear: to imply that the authors of the Pediatrics paper cite fraud on my part.  What McElhanon et al actually say is substantially different from your false and defamatory allegation i.e.,
It is clear that greater clinical and research scrutiny is needed to increase awareness on this topic and thus support development of the best standards of care. Previous controversy surrounding the MMR vaccine and proposed causal link between ASD and infection of the GI tract probably deterred investigators from dedicating resources to examine GI functioning in this population while fostering uncertainty in the ASD community regarding the validity of this line of inquiry.[1]
            There has been a substantial amount of inaccurate and misleading reporting regarding me and my work in multiple publications.  Some of the most egregious statements that have been made about me appeared in the British Medical Journal and in publications by Mr. Brian Deer.  As you should be aware, I am suing the British Medical Journal, its editor Dr. Fiona Godlee, and Brian Deer for defamation in state District Court in Travis County, Texas.  The case is Cause No. D-1-GN-12-000003, Dr. Andrew J Wakefield v. The British Medical Journal, et.al.  The case is currently on jurisdictional appeal, a matter that is irrelevant to either the factual merits of the case or to the prosecution of defendants such as you, based, as you are, in the United States.
            The pleadings and other papers on file in that case set forth my position regarding numerous statements made by Brian Deer, Dr. Godlee and the BMJ. I have filed affidavits in that case which support my claim that false and defamatory statements have been made about me.  The documents on file are public records to which you and Forbes have had access for some considerable time. These documents demonstrate that the scientific research conducted by me and published in the Lancet Paper was not fraudulent. It appears that you have failed in the most basic process of due diligence by not availing yourself of this information before making your defamatory statements. Your actions show a reckless disregard for the truth and are clear evidence of malice on your part; pending legal advice, you will be prosecuted accordingly.
            Further, you are advised that there is, in fact, a substantial body of peer reviewed and published work that corroborates the presence of gastrointestinal pathology in a substantial proportion of children with autism. The Lancet Paper was the stimulus for this compelling and important. I suggest that you avail yourself of this body of work in anticipation of legal proceedings against you. The microscopic, cellular, molecular, microbial, and pathophysiological changes that have been reported by independent researchers may prove to be somewhat challenging to your flimsy notion of “anxiety.”
      You are also advised that I live and work in Austin, Texas where my business is headquartered, and that my work is conducted throughout the US. Your defamatory statements about me will undoubtedly cause me to suffer significant personal and financial damage.
            My lawyers are currently dealing with Deer and his co-defendants. They will be turning their attention to you well within the statute of limitations for filing a case against you and Forbes.
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Andrew J Wakefield MB.BS
c.c.
Bill Parrish
James Moody Esq.
Dawn Loughborough DAIR

This is undoubtedly yet another pathetic attempt by Andrew Jeremy Wakefield to silence critics and whip up support amongst his devoted followers.  Dr. Willingham has my support and hope that Forbes will do the right thing by standing behind their bloggers and not caving to such vexatious and frivolous threats.

ETA (5.2.14): Dr. Willingham has posted this addendum in light of Andrew Jeremy Wakefield's threatening letter:

Following publication of this post, Forbes received a letter from Andrew Wakefield claiming that the post contained “demonstrably false and misleading claims” about him. Specifically, Wakefield writes that the post implies “that the authors of the Pediatrics paper cite fraud on my part” and that “what Mcelhanon et al actually say is substantially different from your false and defamatory allegation”. He claims that “there has been a substantial amount of inaccurate and misleading reporting” about him including the report issued by the British Medical Journal, which he is currently suing. Despite dismissal of that suit on jurisdictional grounds, Wakefield insists that documents in that case will show that “the scientific research conducted by [him] and published in the Lancet paper was not fraudulent”. Wakefield provided a full copy of his letter to Age of Autism, which has published it here.

Sharyl Attkisson and CBS Dehumanise Autists for Ratings

This past Friday Sharyl Attkisson, a journalist for CBS Network presented a "documentary" about a teenage autistic boy, Alex Spourdalakis who was pre-meditatively and brutally murdered by his mother and godmother.  If the murder of a special needs child by his own mother is horrific enough, Ms. Attkisson  and CBS add more insult to Alex's needless death by airing a carefully-staged faux documentary by none other than ex-doctor Andrew Wakefield.

Wakefield and his band of ghouls via his Autism Media Channel teamed up with Lisa Goes and Alex's mother Dorothy Spourdalakis creating the perfect storm of autism "biomed" crankery, narcissism and grotesque exploitation of a helpless teen autist for the shameless self-promotion that Wakefield has become so deft in.  Wakefield peddled this faux documentary along with other biomed stories to reality show execs earlier this year that featured Wakefield and his slimy crony gastroenterologist Arthur Krigsman that featured Wakefield as hero saving children from the horror that is autism.  I hope the sarcasm is noted.

It doesn't appear as though any of the represented networks were interested but Sharyl Attkisson and CBS didn't turn him down.  It is beyond disgusting that no one with editorial powers at CBS looked at this "documentary" and didn't even question its airing let alone question Ms. Attkisson's use of it with absolutely no journalistic ethics applied to the story.  Although since Sharyl Attkisson and CBS have been tools of anti-vaccine cranks that inhabit the cesspool known as Age of Autism, it shouldn't be surprising that they would think this is a nifty idea.

Alex Spourdalakis was a human being deserving of proper care and dignity, instead he was exploited to garner attention for the most execrable excuses for humans, one being his own mother.  Ms. Spourdalakis and her new-found mouthpieces Lisa Goes and Andrew Wakefield plead for help; she received several offers but only wanted an attorney.   There are so many inconsistencies in events leading up to Alex's death yet Ms. Attkisson and CBS exercised absolutely no due diligence verifying and fact-checking any facet of Wakefield's faux documentary. 

But that is not even the worst of Ms. Attkisson's and CBS's offences; they have given a platform to a group of people who routinely de-humanise autists and presented them as though they speak for the autism community.  These people are the same who say that children are better off dead than autistic.   Alex Spourdalakis was purposely shown nearly naked and restrained.  What kind of parent would not only allow such exploitation of her own child but stage it for ghouls like Wakefield to film and shop around for wider distribution?  Ms. Attkisson and CBS have promoted the dangerous idea that disabled people are expendable and their murderers are sympathetic characters to be pitied for their burdens and admired for their sacrifices.

CBS and Sharyl Attkisson owe Alex Spourdalakas and the autism community an enormous apology, a retraction of the story they aired and a real journalistic piece on the escalating victimisation of and violence perpetrated against disabled people.  They are the victims, not their murderers.  I urge you to contact CBS at the following to air your disgust (politely please) at their portrayal of the Spourdalakis case and the wider message that it's acceptable to exploit and murder special needs people:

CBS Chairman Jeffrey Fager, c/o CBS News, 524 West 57th Street, New York, N.Y. 10019

cbsaudiencenews@cbs.com

(hat tip to lilady who acquired the contact information and is spreading it wide and far)

Other bloggers who have weighed in:

http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/2013/08/31/whitewashing-the-brutal-murder-of-alex-spourdalakis/

http://thepoxesblog.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/it-is-now-okay-to-kill-your-child/

http://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/vaccine-deniers-think-murder-alex-spourdalakis-acceptable/

http://paulacdurbinwestbyautisticblog.blogspot.com/

http://sciencebasedpharmacy.wordpress.com/2013/09/01/no-autism-doesnt-justify-murdering-your-child/

Added 2 September 2013:

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2013/09/02/sharyl-attkisson-and-cbs-news-an-epic-fail-in-reporting-on-the-murder-of-autistic-teen-alex-spourdalakis/

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/sharyl-attkisson-promoting-wakefields-narrative-about-murder-alex-spourdalakis/

http://sciencebasedpharmacy.wordpress.com/2013/09/01/no-autism-doesnt-justify-murdering-your-child/

http://www.harpocratesspeaks.com/2013/09/cbs-sympathizes-with-murderers.html

Added 3 September 2013:

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/cbs-news-must-retract-report-excusing-mothers-murder-of-autistic-child/

http://lizditz.typepad.com/i_speak_of_dreams/2013/09/cbss-sharyl-attkisson-this-time-an-apologist-for-murder.html

Insolent demands and reality

There is a measles outbreak in Wales. 1181 cases of measles have been reported since 1 November 2012. Quite impressive for a small country (Wales has about 3 million inhabitants). Public Health Wales have done a stellar job in reporting numbers, breaking them down into the different Welsh regions and they run a Facebook page on which you can ask questions and will get them answered. Countless weekend and in-school clinics were run to get the Welsh youth protected (a lot of teens did not get their MMRs/or MMR booster in the wake of Wakefield's manufactuversy).

Despite PHW's fabulous work, the pro-disease faction have been up in arms. First of all, they abused the fact that not all cases were laboratory confirmed to claim that there is no outbreak, it is fabricated, all to cause panic to increase vaccine uptake (like good vaccination uptake was a bad thing). Never mind that laboratory confirmed cases are catching up with the reported numbers (like they should, those tests take some time to come back); that is part of the conspiracy, too (lowers voice "they noticed that numbers don't match, so they are making new numbers up" - really).

Equally suspicious, according to the anti-vaccine-critical, is that the vaccination status of reported cases is not reported in real time. PHW quite clearly stated on their web site that they'll publish a full report after the outbreak:

and explained on their Facebook page (multiple times) which cases were tested:

many anti-vaccine posters still insist that the delayed publication of numbers was fishy (after all, GPs should know whether their patient has been vaccinated or not) and continually allege that real time reporting was somehow important for their decision.

I call bullshit - there is nothing unique about the Wales outbreak. Last year, just north east of Wales, the Merseyside measles outbreak saw 359 confirmed measles cases, of which, not surprisingly, only 12 (3.3%) had received 2 MMRs. Those hugely relevant numbers (the two outbreaks within a year and 150 miles of each other) are convincing truly hesitant parents:

Meanwhile, I received the following letter from my Health Board:

It seems that although we have been registered with the same GP for many years, and said GP should have all of our children's vaccination records, and I have in writing that they are up to date, their Child Health System has our son down as "not [having] completed the full course of 2 doses of MMR". Obviously, ascertaining vaccine coverage is not quite as trivial as some think.

Thank you PHW for checking before publishing data on vaccine coverage without verification.

Now if you or your child really have not had 2 MMRs - go get them now. MMR is highly effective in protecting you and your loved ones from measles.

Fear mongering and responsibilties - UK private vaccine clinic fuels MMR fears

Wales is currently heading the leader board, unfortunately not in a good way (like for rugby), but for measles infections in the Western hemisphere. Since February, Wales has had nearly 900 reported measles cases, 80 of them hospitalised, and, as feared, now the first suspected death, 25 year old Gareth Colfer-Williams. A lot has been written about responsibility. Obviously, Andrew Wakefield came up as the main culprit, who in turn blamed the government for the outbreak, which they rejected. To be honest, to solely blame Wakefield for the MMR mess would be too much credit to the man. The MMR mess is a media manufactuversy as beautifully summarised by Ben Goldacre. And the greed for the headlines has not stopped, and Wakefield is still given front page coverage by irresponsible papers.

Meanwhile, clinics providing single vaccines for measles and rubella are having a field day. Under the guise of "we are just responding to parental fears" one private provider of single measles vaccines, the Children's Immunisation Clinic (CIC), is advertising their services (£ 50/~US$ 75 registration plus £ 110/US$ 165) playing on the MMR-autism lie, while making totally untenable claims. This starts off with:

A high percentage of the children we vaccinate also have allergies and excema which indicate they may not have a perfectly functioning immune system – and even so we have no recorded adverse reactions.

Wow - that is impressive. I wonder how they do that, given that the Rouvax for example, one of the vaccines that CIC is offering, has the following adverse effects (my bold):

The most common side effects (in more than 1 in 10 subjects vaccinated) seen in clinical trials were irritability/agitation and rhinopharyngeal catarrh.
Other side effects that occurred in more than 1 in 100 subjects vaccinated in clinical trials were fever >38°C, injection site reaction, rash/cutaneous eruptions, conjunctivitis, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea.

They then post a google link to Hannah Poling:

In October 2008 Hannah Poling an autistic child won a huge payout from a triple vaccine manufacturer, who said that she had a DNA genetic predisposition to become autistic given the MMR vaccine More Info…

 and concluding with this beauty:

In 2009 a Dr Walker in the USA has studied 275 autistic children and found in a large percentage of the cases that these children had the live Measles virus living in their gut after vaccination with the triple MMR .You can see more about this on the Daily Mail online. We do not use the same MMR or Measles virus vaccine in the vaccine we have chosen to use.

At this point already, I know I am never going to entrust my child to this clinic. The Daily Mail as a source for medical information? Honestly? The article they mean is the one previously bemoaned by Liz Ditz to have been posted without time stamp. Everything else is false, too.

Steven Walker's work was presented as a poster at the IMFAR conference in 2006, so no "study", not in 2009 either.

The abstract reports on results of 82 kids, 70 of them supposedly had measles vaccine virus in the gut. They tell us they have samples of >275, but have not analysed them all. Also, we know since Dr Bustin's testimony to the Autism Omnibus proceedings and Hornig et al that measles virus has not and cannot been found in the guts of > 80% of autistic children.

I think this claim "We do not use the same MMR or Measles virus vaccine in the vaccine we have chosen to use" is a lie. We already know that the clinic have not looked at Walker's data, since they misrepresent his findings. There is actually no way the people at the clinic can know what vaccines the children Walker looked at had received, because it is not reported in the abstract and a full paper has not been published since 2006. Given that Arthur Krigsman is the senior author of the abstract and children have been flown to him certainly at least from the UK, it is not clear which measles vaccine strain they had been vaccinated with. The French Rouvax, CIC are offering contains the Schwarz strain, which is also the measles strain used in GSK's Priorix, often used in Europe, the Indian Sii M-Vax, also on offer at CIC contains the Edmonston-Zagreb strain, also contained in the Swiss MMR-Triviraten (Berna) (CIC also import vaccines from China and Russia, if someone knows what vaccine strain is in those, email me).

Now, tell me how you can interpret the above facts and let the clinic appear in a good light. At best, their research was irresponsibly shoddy and they conveniently believed the Daily Mail. At worst, they are intentionally fuelling parental fears to sell their singles with false claims. It gets worse though - on the side bar, on the lower right, the clinic claim:




No Autism in over 10 years and amongst 18000 Patient Record Cards?! That is an outstanding record and it sounds dangerously like a "warranty" (I am not a lawyer, but a lawyer friend of mine pointed this out). Absolutely amazing, especially given that autism/ASD prevalence in the UK has been published to be 1 in 67, so they should be looking at about 282 patients on the spectrum, give or take a few. The reason for their "Clinic Highlight" might be their rather unorthodox method of assessment...  "We [the clinic] ask you [the patient] tell us if you have an adverse reaction within a few days of the vaccine."


They are obviously way out of their depth now, because it is all fine and well to make exaggerated claims when it is "only" about people's money. But now Wales is steering towards breaking the 1000 mark of measles cases (probably by next week), children and young adults are very very sick and one might have died, and the tolerance wears thin. While CIC is still keeping up appearances for the BBC, they seriously lost it in response to a short article in last week's Sunday Times and in the middle of a massive rant (which they really want you to read in its entirety and not quote out of context, so they mention it twice, probably because they know how tedious their rant is) about "offering singles will increase herd immunity" and "not politicising the issue" slip in this paragraph (all typos are [sic]):

9) CIC is not judgmental about parents’ choice of vaccine (any vaccination ,generally ,is better than none) nor does it have any preconceived ideas as to the causes, be they single trigger(s) or perhaps even several different combinations of triggers.
Anecdotally though,  that portion of the parents who tell us their stories , all confirm that there was a dramatic change in behaviour, either with their child ,from their circle of friends , neighbours or work colleagues; and these families make up a significant minority proportion  of our population,
The emotional and financial burden on the family, the limited funding of the UK’s Health sector all point to potential benefit of further timely research into those specific cases which may then be identifiable as being preventable An unencumbered choice for either single or multivalent MMR vaccine options would do less harm  than the current situation of a large portion not willing to engage in any vaccination programme.

Goodness, somebody save them from themselves. CIC are in a hole, they should stop digging. If they wanted to keep up the illusion that they are there "to help" instead of setting up shop in Swansea in the middle of an outbreak and charging full price for their services, maybe they should have offered their singles at cost? Just to maintain the illusion that they weren't hell bent on keeping the MMR autism lie alive for their own business interest? Just an idea.

First measles death feared in Wales - updated: man did have measles

Public Health Wales were warning that this would happen, now they are investigating the death of a 25 year old man as the first measles fatality in the current outbreak in South Wales, which hit 808 reported cases yesterday.

Updated (19/4/13 5pm): Public Health Wales have confirmed that the man who died in Swansea yesterday did indeed have measles.

Welcome Necromancers - find the Wakefield threads here

I was wondering why we had a necromancer on an old thread linking directly to Andy Wakefield's site, that one callously disregarding anything but Wakefield's (business) interests. I discovered the potential explanation on page 25 of the Guardian magazine:

In his book Callous Disregard, Wakefield claims his findings of autistic enterocolitis have been "independently confirmed in five different countries". He cites five studies, two of which were authored by his friend, collaborator and Autism Team star Arthur Krigsman. One of those studies appeared in Autism Insights, a medical journal on whose board Krigsman sat in 2010. Two other studies were by Italian doctor Federico Balzola. According to the justthevax blog, the first of these was a case report of a single adult autistic patient with an inflamed bowel, and the second a "meeting abstract" that "never saw the light of day as a peer-reviewed study". The last one, a study by Dr Lenny Gonzalez, while not reporting finding a distinct "autistic enterocolitis", concludes that "autistic children have a high incidence of gastrointestinal disease". (my bold)

Ok, I admit, I am vain, and that section did generate a squee. The whole article is worth reading though, very well researched by Alex Hannaford, who is not shy to call Wakefield's operation what it is "Autism Inc.", a money generating machine. Hannaford tried to proffer Wakefield's (and Polly Tommey's) comments, but they only sent their lawyers' roboresponse (Wakefield did not fabricate data, there is such a thing as autistic enterocolitis, yada yada). Instead, he interviewed (among others) the lovely Autismum Martine O'Callaghan, founder of the cwtch-network, whose autistic son Cledwyn is just as lush as Michael Fitzpatrick's son James, and Ari Ne'eman, founder of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. Not surprisingly, they emphasise the need to improve quality of life of autistic children and adults, by appropriate services (for example schools). Excellent article - read it.

Now for those who'd like to insist that really, Wakefield's works have been independently verified, please read my previous two blog posts:

"Independent" the Wakefield way (really something for the fail blog)

and

Still no independent confirmation of Wakefield's claims 

and feel free to add research you think we may have missed to discuss. Can I ask though that instead of just dropping a link into the comments, or basic copypasta from the usual anti-vaccine conspiracy sites, you leave one article at a time, with a proper, i.e. retrievable, citation and a blurb in your own words (much as we did in those blog posts) stating what was done in those papers and how this supports the "vaccines lead to gut damage leads to autism" notion? Cheers.

Quack and Burn

There has been interesting and delightful news on the anti-vaxx quack front this past week.  Most recently Dr. Mark Geier of the ghoulish duo, Mark R. Geier and pretend doctor David Geier, has had his license to practise medicine revoked in Missouri and has had his medical license suspended indefinitely in Illinois.  The last remaining state, Hawaii where Mark Geier still holds a valid license has filed a complaint against him.  Todd W. of Harpocrates Speaks has a very nice catalogue of the Geiers' offences.  While the Geiers' creepy clinics are still in operation, one with Mayor Eisenstein of Homefirst, and in spite of their claim, "We are going to open [clinics] everywhere," the loss of all of Mark Geier's licenses to practise medicine and pending action in the one remaining state will ensure that this isn't going to happen.

Another quack, Andrew Wakefield is once again "wanking for coins."  Wakefield and his fawning disciples have hoisted yet another fund-raising scheme for their St. Andy.  This one as the hilariously named, Academic Integrity Fund.  And for $750 one can enjoy dining with the Wakefields AT THEIR TABLE or $250 for being in the same room as the Wakefields to eat tacos and drink frozen margaritas (with cheap house tequila no doubt) at a chain restaurant.

I can't quite seem to figure out what the Academic Integrity Fund funds other than paying for a couple of overwrought, masturbatory blog posts by Wakefield and a couple of others.  Sadly, there are people with more money than brains so he should pull in some payola for his latest venture.

Wakefield has his own Legal Justice Fund which is really just a façade for fawning acolytes to show his fighting spirit against the evil Brian Deer and BMJ.  I doubt his acolytes will even bother to question why there are scores of pages missing from Mr. Deer's testimony and just keep throwing their money at Wakefield.

And whatever happened to his Strategic Autism Initiative (SAI)?  Yet another money suck he created and in his words:

“I have no intention of going away,” he said. “I have set up a new research initiative, the Strategic Autism Initiative, whose aim is to do the science on the environmental causes of autism that the federal agencies want to run away from.”

Not a single study nor publication nor anything to do with autism research has emerged from this so-called non-profit organisation.  It appears as though the SAI has done nothing but fund a few trips for Wakefield to frighten the Minnesota Somali community off of getting the MMR jab for their children and making an empty promise to conduct a study of their autism prevalence.  I guess he can claim partial success by facilitating a measles outbreak in the Minnesota Somali community.

This latest scam is at least the closest thing to just coming right out and saying, "pay me for nothing suckers," than his past "fund-raising" schemes.  And sadly, they will.