H1N1 Influenza Deaths in Children with Neurological Disorders and Anti-Vaxx Autism Groups Don't Care

This past Wednesday, 29 August 2012 a CDC press release, Children with Neurological Disorders at High Risk of Death from Flu was issued.  LeftBrain/RightBrain was the first I could see who relayed this information on 29 August 2012.  In the past couple of days, Disability Scoop, History of Vaccines,  Autism Science Foundation and a plethora of news outlets have reported this.  The original study can be found in the most recent edition of Pediatrics.

Of the 336 children (defined as people younger than 18 years) with information available on underlying medical conditions who were reported to have died from 2009 H1N1 flu-associated causes, 227 had one or more underlying health conditions. One hundred forty-six children (64 percent) had a neurologic disorder such as cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, or epilepsy. Of the children with neurologic disorders for whom information on vaccination status was available, only 21 (23 percent) had received the seasonal influenza vaccine and 2 (3 percent) were fully vaccinated for 2009 H1N1.

“We’ve known for some time that certain neurologic conditions can put children at high risk for serious complications from influenza,” said Dr. Lyn Finelli, chief of the surveillance and outbreak response team in CDC’s Influenza Division. “However, the high percentage of pediatric deaths associated with neurologic disorders that occurred during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic was a somber reminder of the harm that flu can cause to children with neurologic and neurodevelopmental disorders.”

Remarkably absent from reporting this are the "usual suspects" of anti-vaccine and autism crankery.  The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) has absolutely nothing mentioned about this finding.  This is an organisation that prides itself on "informed consent":

The National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) is dedicated to the prevention of vaccine injuries and deaths through public education and to defending the informed consent ethic in medicine.

As an independent clearinghouse for information on diseases and vaccines, NVIC does not advocate for or against the use of vaccines. We support the availability of all preventive health care options, including vaccines, and the right of consumers to make educated, voluntary health care choices.

Emphasis added.  Yet not a single word about this study for parents of high risk children, in particular to make an informed choice.

Let's take a look at Dr. Joseph Mercola's website, the "alternative practitioner" who actively railed against the potential dangers of H1N1 influenza vaccination and vocally dissuaded his readers from getting the vaccine for themselves and their children no matter what.  Nope, not a word there either about this study.

Surely Dr. Bob Sears another proponent of "informed consent" for vaccines has something about this study.  He is after all a paediatrician and DAN! doctor who takes care of medically-fragile children.  One would think that this is very important information to share with his readers and patients.  Sixty-four percent of the H1N1-related deaths in 2009 were among children with cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, or epilepsy and only 3% were fully vaccinated for H1N1.  No, complete silence there too.  Except of course to register his outrage over California's AB2109 bill which requires informed consent before opting out of vaccines.  At least he is consistently against informed consent by not providing his own patients with any.  Dr. Sears also shares his extraordinary knowledge of H1N1 vaccines, vaccine testing and his ability to sling conspiracy theories around with the best of them. 

Another obvious place to look would be Dr. Jay Gordon's website since he is so terribly concerned with vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases.   I would imagine that Dr. Jay also has medically-fragile children in his practice and would want their parents to know about how such underlying conditions can be risk factors for things like complications from flu.  No, nothing there either but he is certainly not shy about promoting his interview with Anderson Cooper and letting us know what a particular colour of poop means. Dr. Jay is also against AB2109.  Dr. Jay also had some truly brilliant insights regarding H1N1 pathology, vaccination and epidemiology.

This CDC press release was embargoed which essentially means that their media contact will pre-release it to certain parties in order for them to prepare a story for when the story is released.  It is considered really bad manners to break an embargo.  Needless to say, many anti-vaccine/autism groups have really bad manners and think nothing of breaking embargoes when it suits them.  One of the most egregious anti-vaccine/autism sites, Age of Autism not only minded the embargo but seems to have extended it by not mentioning a word of it.  The only "stories" there were the usual wailing and gnashing of teeth over genetics studies, conspiracy theories and how the IACC won't recommend study directives for vaccinesdidit.

This is clearly inconvenient information for those who take every opportunity to denigrate vaccines, lie about the true risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and vaccines or are just too dumb to disseminate factual information regarding vaccines and the diseases they can prevent.  The true believers will never be swayed and completely miss the point that there are medically-fragile children who are at a greater risk for disease complications and intentionally withholding this information by so-called autism and vaccine-safety organisations and healthcare practitioners is tantamount to lying.

Addendum 9.1.12:  Commenter lilady linked to Dr. Jay Gordon's views on H1N1 vaccines and disease shortly after H1N1 began circulating.  I added that and Dr. Bob Sears' views as well.  Thank you lilady; I now feel stupid for reading those.